Communities get ‘water makeovers’ on 2013 RBC Blue Water Day

On June 14, 2013, RBC employees will be taking to the streets, shorelines and local green spaces to help protect water in our communities as we celebrate the fourth annual RBC Blue Water Day in more than 50 countries worldwide.

This year, employees will be taking part in the RBC Blue Water Community Makeover, protecting water in our growing towns and cities by creating smarter green spaces, helping clean streets, sidewalks and shorelines and creating awareness about urban water issues.

Some employees will be helping to “green” urbanized areas. Trees, plants and gardens are not only beautiful to look at, they also help rainwater and snowmelt sink slowly into the ground, helping to reduce stormwater runoff and flooding. Greenery and plants can also capture and filter chemicals and sediment from water.
Other employees will get involved in shoreline or street clean-ups. Almost 20 per cent of all ‘street’ litter ends up in our waterways local water bodies, and some of that litter is toxic. Take cigarette butts, for example, which can take more than ten years to break down, leaching toxins into soil and waterways all the while. When we keep our streets, highways, shorelines and areas around storm drains clean, we’re helping protect water.